Get Your Disco Groove On

Oct 28th in Motion Graphics by Ramesh Rao

I hope you got the funk in your trousers!... ok, that sounded better in my head. Today we are going to create a full disco club scene. There are a number of elements involved so hopefully you can moonwalk away with something groovy!

Author: Ramesh Rao

I'm a 21 year old motion graphics designer from Chennai, India. I am a motion graphic artist for a local television station, but additionally do freelance VFX work.

Requirements

• Trapcode Particular You can download a trial version here.
• Trapcode Lux You can download a trial version here.

Preview

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Download Preview .flv

File size 1.7MB

Tutorial

Step 1

At first we are going to create disco floor. Make a new composition by clicking Composition -> New Composition or ctrl + N . Name : "disco floor comp", Make it comp size (1000*1000) pixel aspect radio D1/DV pal 1.07, frame rate : 25 and 10 sec duration long.



Step 2

Create new solid clicking by Layer -> New -> Solid or Ctrl + y. Color doesn't matter. Name it floor circle. Same as comp size. Make a larger sized floor. With solid layer selected, apply Effects -> Render -> Radio waves. Change a stroke -> color to white stroke. Set the start width to 25




Step 3

Create new solid clicking by Layer -> New -> Solid or Ctrl + y. Color doesn't matter. Name it floor waveform. same as comp size. Make a larger size floor.



Step 4

Add a music bar effect in the floor. With solid layer selected, apply Effects -> Render -> Audio Waveform.You could use any music track to show the music bar. So import your favorite song. Bring it to disco floor comp. Change the below settings in audio waveform.audio Layer : music track that you have track in timeline , Start point : (0, 500), End point : (1000, 500), Display Sample : 40, Maximum height : 1200, Thickness : 10, Softness : 0, display option : digital.



Step 5

Add a glow to floor waveform layer by selecting the floor waveform layer click Effects -> Stylize -> Glow. Leave it as default settings.



Step 6

Create new adjustment layer by clicking Layer -> New -> Adjustment layer. To make like disco floor blocks, add mosaic on adjustment layer clicking by Effect -> Stylize -> Mosaic. Change the mosaic setting horizontal block : 50 & vertical block : 50.




Step 7

We have to make a blocks more effective so I've added effects -> render -> grid. Change the grid effect setting corner : 520,520, border : 7, feather: width : 1.5 height : 1.5, invert grid : on, bleanding mode : stencil alpha. It helps to make like small boxs.



Step 8

Make a new composition, Composition -> New Composition or ctrl + n. name : main comp, size width : 720 height : 411, pixel ratio : DV pal 1.07, frame rate : 25, duration : 10 sec. In this comp, we are going to make all the disco scene.



Create a new black solid, Layer -> New -> solid or Ctrl + y. name : Bg, same as comp size.



Step 9

Bring the disco floor comp to main comp timeline. Make it a 3d layer by clicking 3d switch on switches. Change the X rotation it to 90 degree. In the material opition make a accept light : off To make more of an extension on the floor, add motion tile effect on disco floor comp and change the output width : 250 & output height : 250.




Step 10

Create a new solid, Layer -> new -> solid or Ctrl + y, Name : floor light same as comp size colour medium gray (#949494). Make it as 3d layer by clicking 3D switch, rotate : 90 degree, make a blending mode : add.



After turning x rotation 90 degree it should look like this. Now we are going to create new camera in the comp.



Step 11

Create a new camera by clicking Layer -> New -> Camera or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + c . and use these settings. Select preset to 28 mm camera, enable the depth of field, aperture : 25 and make the position : 360, 90, -740, point of interest : 360, 180, 0.




Step 12

To make an additional extension of the floor, add motion tile effect on floor light and change the output width : 250 &; output height : 250.



Add Effects -> render -> grid Change the grid 1 effect setting corner : 503, 503, border : 3.5, feather: width : 1.5 height : 1.5, invert grid : on, bleanding mode : stencil alpha. It helps to make like small led boxs, we have to make some more bigger blocks that matches to disco floor comp layer. so add effects -> render -> grid to floor light layer make a grid 2 effect setting corner : 520, 520, border : 5, feather: width : 2, height : 2, invert grid : on, bleanding mode : stencil alpha.



Step 13

Now we are going to make a disco ball. Create a new solid, Layer -> new -> solid or Ctrl + y, Name : disco ball same as comp size. Add a fractural noise effect, Effect -> noise -> fractral noise. Change the below setting fractal type : Basic, noise type : block, contrast : 100, Brightness : 0, drop down the transform Scale : 40.




Add an expression in evolution make a Alt + click on keyframe and type time*200.



Step 14

To make a sphere look add CC Sphere effect on clicking Effects -> perspective -> cc sphere . To make a disco ball rotate drop down the rotation. We want the ball rotate on y axis so add an expression on Y rotation. Alt + Click on Rotation Y in timeline layer, type time*50. make a keyframe on start radius : 15 move the 7th frame in timeline make a another keyframe set radius : 45, change the light properties in cc sphere, drop down the light and change the light intensity : 150, light : 70, light direction : 180 degree, offset : 360, 45. We made a nice disco ball and i think some rays makes it better feel.



Step 15

Add a shine effect to make disco ball more effective. Effect -> trapcode -> shine . Change these settings Source point : 360, 45 same as cc sphere offset , drop down the shimmer , Amount : 100, Detail : 40, Boost light : 0, change the colourize : one colour, colour : white same as the disco ball, Transfer mode : Screen.change the position : 360, 130, 0.take it ot the top of the screen, switch the layer to 3D and make a accept light : off.



Step 16

Now we are going to create a laser effect. Create a new point light, Layer -> New -> Light Name it laser light , setting a light type : point, intensity : 200 , colour : green (#87FE52), then light cast shadow : turn off . Make a Position : 360, 145, 300 . Now we can see the light effect on the scene.




After adding the light i may look like this.



Step 17

Create a new solid, Layer -> new -> solid same as comp size and name it "laser light beam". Add trapcode particle by selecting the laser light beam layer, Effect -> trapcode -> particular. Change the Emitter and particle settings as follows :



Step 18

Create the laser effect by changing values on physics turbulence field & aux effect only. Change the Gravity : 0, Physics Time Factor : 1 Change all air values to 0 . Drop down the turbulence field change these settings Affect size : 0, Affect Position : 1000, Scale : 700, Ocatave Scale : 2, Evolution Speed : 20 . affect position & scale values Make a beam effect that randomly turns on. Change the aux values as follows :



Step 19

We are going to create a focus lights to the floor. Before that we have to make a light visible on the scene so Create a new solid layer, Layer -> New -> Solid or Ctrl + y name it "Lux". Add Trapcode Lux to the solid by selecting the Lux layer on timeline Effect -> trapcode -> Lux. It makes a laser light is visible. Make a Lux settings as follows :




Step 20

Now we make a focus light, Create a new spot light Layer -> New -> Light Name it "Top light 01" Setting a light type : spot, intensity : 100, Cone angle : 30, Cone feather : 30%, make a brighter color as your wish but i made colour : blue (#52B7FE), cast shadow : off click ok. Change the light position to back of the stage, position : 0, -100, 400, face the light to the stage change the point of interest : 0, 200, -150. Disco focus light should move randomly so i made a experession to the Top light 01 . Alt + click on point of interest keyframe type wiggle(1,200).




Step 21

Duplicate the focus light another one by selecting Top light 01, Edit -> Duplicate and change the colour as your wish. Change the point of interest : 250, 200, -150 and position : 200, -100, 400. Again, we duplicate another one. Change point of interest : 450, 200, -150 and position : 500, -100, 400. and again we duplicate one more light change the point of interest : 720, 200, -150 and position : 720, -100, 400. Make the focus light in different colours.




Step 22

Now, its time to make logo appearance. Create new composition, composition -> new composition or Ctrl + n. Name it "aetuts+_logo Comp" make a setings ad follows :



Step 23

Bring the aetuts+_logo to the comp, scale : 40 To make suitable to the composition switch it to a 3D layer. Divide the logo image to 3 separate slices as shown by the ruler on the screen by pressing Ctrl + r and aligning the guides where to separate.




Step 24

Duplicate the aetuts+_logo layer another 2 times by selecting the layer Edit -> duplicate or Ctrl + d. Move the first layer to 1 sec 15 frame in the timeline, and second layer 1 sec. set a anchor point as follows.



Step 25

Select the third layer with retangular tool mask the ae into 1 slice, select the second layer mask the tuts, and select the first layer mask the + in the logo.



Step 26

We are going to animate the layer make a keyframe in y rotaion as follows:



Step 27

Have to make a reflection in same method so duplicate all three layer bring it down in the comp.



Step 28

Set the opacity to 30, make the negative scale in y axis and set the position as follows:



It will look like this:



Step 29

After animating the logo, I think light reflection makes a better feel. Create new adjustment layer Layer -> New -> Adjustment layer, add Effect -> Generate -> CC light sweep and make a below setting :



Step 30

Bring the aetuts+_logo comp to the main timeline move the start point to 3 sec, switch it to 3D layer by clicking 3d switch in switches and keyframe the position keyframe it as follows:




Step 31

Add a lens flare to the comp it makes feel better output .Create a new adjustment layer Layer -> New -> Adjustment layer, add Render -> lensflare and key frame the flare center on 1st frame make a position : 8,-44 and take the time indicator to 8th sec set a position : 700,0.



Step 32

Finally, we are going to animate the camera in the scene. keyframe the camera position, set camera position 1 sec -> position :0, 0, 0. , move the time indicator to 1 sec 8 frame -> position :215, -6, -635, move the time indicator to 5 sec -> position :365, 90, -740 and move the time indicator to 8 sec -> position :630, 165, -425.



Move the marker to 1 sec in the timeline ruler. Render it and enjoy the disco floor.





I hope guys you guys enjoyed this tutorial.